kaiser



(No Model.)

M. KAISER;

CLASP.

o. 510,918,. Patented Dec. 19,1893.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Gretna.

JOSEPH M. KAISER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO EISEMAN, KAISER &

00., OF SAME PLACE.

CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,918, dated D ecember19, 1893.,

Application filed April 27, 1893- Serial No. 472,050. (No model.)

To a whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH M. KAISER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to provide a construction of clasp for use particularly on garters, which shall involve, besides a clamp for holding the end of the garter when adjusted to gage the. diameter thereof, two parts forming the clasp proper, said parts being separable and adapted to be engaged with each other, whereby the garter may be adjusted in place by passing it about the limb and then fastening it, instead, as hitherto, of requiring it to be slipped over the foot into place.

It is common to provide a garter with a clasp formed in two separable parts, one at each end of the garter thereby adapted to be adjusted, as by myimprovement, in place on the limb of the wearer. It is also common to provide a mere clamp permanently attached to one end of a garter with the other end thereof extending between the jaws or clamping plates of the clamp to permit of lengthening or shortening the circumferential dimensions of the garter. This last-named variety is objectionable by reason of requiring the garter to be applied by slipping it over the foot, thereby rendering the operation inconvenient and arduous. The first-named variety is objectionable by reason ofits being unprovided with clamping means whereby toadjust an end of the garter as to its length to take it in and let it out for the purposes of narrowing and widening the article. I overcome these objections by providing the clasp in two mutually engaging and seperable parts to be attached to the opposite ends of a garter, or the like, (or respectively to the end and strap of a suspender,) one part being a spring tongue and the other a plate terminating in a socket to receive the tongue, the socket-plate having a clamping plate hinged upon it behind the socket-portion and forming an intervening space for the admission and adjustment of the end of the article to be clamped. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a garter provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 shows in elevation the two parts of the clasp separated. Fig. 3 is a section taken at the line 3 on Fig. 2 and viewed in the direction ofthe arrow.

A is my improved clasp, comprising a socket-portion A forming an extension of a plate on one end of a garter B; a spring tongue A secured on the opposite end of the garter and adapted to be inserted into and separably engaged by the socket A; and a clamping plate A hinged at one end to the socket-plate at the rear of its socket-portion with which a tooth r on the clamping plate near its hinge engages to fasten the end of the garter which slips through the socket-portion of the clasp. The plate A may have its exposed surface provided with any suitable ornamentation, as represented.

As will be seen, the tongue A forms a spring in a shape approximating the letter M, the base being divided and terminating in a divided loop q carrying the ferrule q and in which to fasten a garter-end; and near the junction of the loop with the base of the spring are lateral projections 10. The lateral edges of the socket-portion A are provided with slots 0, the outer or forward ends of which afford shoulders at 0. The normal width of the spring-tongue portion of the part A of the clasp is greater than the internal width "of the socket-portion A, whereby the spring is late'raly compressed in inserting the tongue into the socket until the projections p pass the shoulders 0', when. the resiliency of the spring expands it laterally to extend the projections into the slots 0 and to engageshoulders 0, whereby the part A is held against withdrawal from the partA. Toseparate the parts of the clasp, the part A is pressed between the fingers at the ends of the loop q whereby the spring-tongue is compressed to diminish its width sufficiently to disengagethe projections 1) from the socket-shoulders 0 and permit withdrawal of the spring-tongue from the socket.

The socket-portion A of the clasp is connected with the garter by passing the end of the lattenthrough the hinge connection between the socket and the clamping-plate A whereby when the socket-plate is raised the garter-end may be drawn to any desired length through the clamp to adjust the garter as to its diameter, the strap being fastened as adjusted by turning the plate A down on its hinge to cover the face of the socket-portion of the clasp, in which condition the tooth or flange 'r indents the material of the garter and holds it.

My invention relates to the construction of the clasp, whether applied to a garter or other article; and it may be used with advantage in connection with a Suspender, by applying the socket-portion A to the strap and the springtongue portion A to the Suspender-end.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure [5 by Letters Patent, is-- A clasp comprising, in combination, a socket-portion A having slots 0, in its edges forming shoulders O, a clamping-plate A hinged on the socket-portion and provided with a tooth r to engage therewith, and a springtongue portion A in shape approximating an M ,havinglateralproj ections q and, at its open base, a loop q to engage the shoulders 0' when the spring tongue is inserted into the socket, substantially as described.

JOSEPH M. KAISER;

In presence of M. J. Faos'r, W. N. WILLIAMS. 

